LESSON 3 Chapter 2
Asia, he mastered 22 languages. These include
Jose Rizal: A Biographical Sketch
JOSE RIZAL, the national hero of the Philippines and
pride of the Malayan race, was born on June 19,
1861, in the town of Calamba, Laguna. He was the
seventh child in a family of 11 children (2 boys and 9
girls). Both his parents were educated and belonged
to distinguished families.
His father, Francisco Mercado Rizal, an industrious
farmer whom Rizal called "a model of fathers," came
from Biñan, Laguna; while his mother, Teodora
Alonzo y Quintos, a highly cultured and
accomplished woman whom Rizal called "loving and
prudent mother," was born in, Sta. Cruz, Manila. At
the age of 3, he learned the alphabet from his
mother; at 5, while learning to read and write, he
already showed inclinations to be an artist. He
astounded his family and relatives by his pencil
drawings and sketches and by his moldings of clay. At
the age 8, he wrote a Tagalog poem, "Sa Aking Mga
Kabata," the theme of which revolves on the love of
one’s language. In 1877, at the age of 16, he obtained
his Bachelor of Arts degree with an average of
"excellent" from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. In
the same year, he enrolled in Philosophy and Letters
at the University of Santo Tomas, while at the same
time took courses leading to the degree of surveyor
and expert assessor at the Ateneo. He finished the
latter course on March 21, 1877 and passed the
Surveyor’s examination on May 21, 1878; but
because of his age, 17, he was not granted license to
practice the profession until December 30, 1881. In
1878, he enrolled in medicine at the University of
Santo Tomas but had to stop in his studies when he
felt that the Filipino students were being
discriminated upon by their Dominican tutors. On
May 3, 1882, he sailed for Spain where he continued
his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid. On
June 21, 1884, at the age of 23, he was conferred the
degree of Licentiate in Medicine and on June 19,
1885, at the age of 24, he finished his course in
Philosophy and Letters with a grade of "excellent."  pupils the English and Spanish languages, the arts.
Having traveled extensively in Europe, America and
Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German,
Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Malayan,
Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog, and
other native dialects. A versatile genius, he was an
architect, artists, businessman, cartoonist, educator,
economist, ethnologist, scientific farmer, historian,
inventor, journalist, linguist, musician, mythologist,
nationalist, naturalist, novelist, ophthalmic surgeon,
poet, propagandist, psychologist, scientist, sculptor,
sociologist, and theologian.
He was an expert swordsman and a good shot. In
the hope of securing political and social reforms for
his country and at the same time educate his
countrymen, Rizal, the greatest apostle of Filipino
nationalism, published, while in Europe, several
works with highly nationalistic and revolutionary
tendencies. In March 1887, his daring book, NOLI ME
TANGERE, a satirical novel exposing the arrogance
and despotism of the Spanish clergy, was published
in Berlin; in 1890 he reprinted in Paris,
Morga’s SUCCESSOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS with his
annotations to prove that the Filipinos had a
civilization worthy to be proud of even long before
the Spaniards set foot on Philippine soil; on
September 18, 1891, EL FILIBUSTERISMO, his second
novel and a sequel to the NOLI and more
revolutionary and tragic than the latter, was printed
in Ghent. Because of his fearless exposures of the
injustices committed by the civil and clerical officials,
Rizal provoked the animosity of those in power. This
led himself, his relatives and countrymen into trouble
with the Spanish officials of the country. As a
consequence, he and those who had contacts with
him, were shadowed; the authorities were not only
finding faults but even fabricating charges to pin him
down. Thus, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago from
July 6, 1892 to July 15, 1892 on a charge that anti-
friar pamphlets were found in the luggage of his
sister Lucia who arrive with him from Hong Kong.
While a political exile in Dapitan, he engaged in
agriculture, fishing and business; he maintained and
operated a hospital; he conducted classes- taught his
The sciences, vocational courses including
agriculture, surveying, sculpturing, and painting, as
well as the art of self-defense; he did some
researches and collected specimens; he entered into
correspondence with renowned men of letters and
sciences abroad; and with the help of his pupils, he
constructed water dam and a relief map of Mindanao
- both considered remarkable engineering feats. His
sincerity and friendliness won for him the trust and
confidence of even those assigned to guard him; his
good manners and warm personality were found
irresistible by women of all races with whom he had
personal contacts; his intelligence and humility
gained for him the respect and admiration of
prominent men of other nations; while his
undaunted courage and determination to uplift the
welfare of his people were feared by his enemies.
When the Philippine Revolution started on August
26, 1896, his enemies lost no time in pressing him
down. They were able to enlist witnesses that linked
him with the revolt and these were never allowed to
be confronted by him. Thus, from November 3, 1986,
to the date of his execution, he was again committed
to Fort Santiago. In his prison cell, he wrote an
untitled poem, now known as "Ultimo Adios" which is
considered a masterpiece and a living document
expressing not only the hero’s great love of country
but also that of all Filipinos. After a mock trial, he was
convicted of rebellion, sedition and of forming illegal
association. In the cold morning of December 30,
1896, Rizal, a man whose 35 years of life had been
packed with varied activities which proved that the
Filipino has capacity to equal if not excel even those
who treat him as a slave, was shot at Bagumbayan
Field. 
Katipunero’s Choice. While the Americans found him
non-revolutionary, Jose Rizal was associated with the
katipunan. Long before the coming of the Americans,
Jose Rizal was already the choice of his compatriots
as their leader that even without his knowledge and
consent, he had been chosen by the katipunan.
The Noli Me Tangere has served as the Filipino
people’s mirror, for them to see who they are, what
they are, and what they can be.
The El filibusterismo has emphasized the necessity
and the inevitability of the revolution. Jose Rizal ideas
and ideals served as the seeds of revolution.
Jose Rizal monument at Luneta. The monument of
Rizal was created in a foreign land. Rizal monument
at luneta was designed and sculptured in a foreign
land, it was created by a Swiss national, Henry
Kissling, a runner up in an international competition
for designing Rizal’s monument sponsored by the
nationalist in 1912.
My last farewell (mi ultimo adios). This was inscribed
on a marble stone below the monument of Jose Rizal
in Luneta. The poem evokes sadness & admiration
from Spanish speaking foreigners, it has no meaning
at all for many Filipinos, the Filipinos are required to
memorize and recite this poem without
understanding & internalization of this literary piece.

LESSON 4
The Choice of Philippine National Hero. Jose Rizal
life and works are filled with paradoxes &
controversies in fact, more than a hundred years
have passed since Jose Rizal execution at Luneta, yet
Rizal’s life & works are still hounded by controversies.

American’s Choice. Jose Rizal is the Philippine

national hero purportedly believed to be an
American sponsored hero who was chosen by the
Americans because of his non-revolutionary ideology.
LESSON 5 Chapter 3
  JOSE RIZAL 
The Mercado - Rizal Family The second son and the seventh child. He was
The Rizal’s is considered one of the biggest families executed by the Spaniards on December 30, 1896.
during their time. Domingo Lam-co, the family's CONCEPCION RIZAL 
paternal ascendant was a full-blooded Chinese who The eight child. Died at the age of three.
came to the Philippines from Amoy, China in the JOSEFA RIZAL 
closing years of the 17th century and married a The ninth child. An epileptic, died a spinster.
Chinese half-breed by the name of Ines de la Rosa. TRINIDAD RIZAL 
The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the
Researchers revealed that the Mercado-Rizal family family to die.
had also traces of Japanese, Spanish, Malay and SOLEDAD RIZAL 
Even Negrito blood aside from Chinese. The youngest child married Pantaleon Quintero.
 
Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family consisting LESSON 6
of his parents, Francisco Mercado II and Teodora JOSE RIZAL in Calamba, Laguna (June 19, 1861)
Alonso Realonda, and nine sisters and one brother. JOSE RIZAL, the seventh child of Francisco Mercado
FRANCISCO MERCADO  Rizal and Teodora Alonso y Quintos, was born in
Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 Calamba, Laguna.
offspring’s of Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in Biñan,
Laguna on April 18, 1818; studied in San Jose College, He was baptized JOSE RIZAL MERCADO at the
Manila; and died in Manila. Catholic of Calamba by the parish priest Rev. Rufino
TEODORA ALONSO  Collantes with Rev. Pedro Casañas as the sponsor.
Mother of Jose Rizal who was the second child of (22 June 1861)
Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She studied at
the Colegio de Santa Rosa. She was a business- The parochial church of Calamba and the canonical
minded woman, courteous, religious, hard-working books, including the book in which Rizal’s baptismal
and well-read. She was born in Santa Cruz, Manila on records were entered, were burned. Barely three
November 14, 1827 and died in 1913 in Manila. years old, Jose Rizal learned the alphabet from his
SATURNINA RIZAL  mother.
Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married
Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. When he was four years old, his
PACIANO RIZAL  sister Conception, the eight child in the Rizal family,
Only brother of Jose Rizal and the second child. died at the age of three. It was on this occasion that
Studied at San Jose College in Manila; became a Rizal remembered having shed real tears for the first
farmer and later a general of the Philippine time.
Revolution.
NARCISA RIZAL  During this time his mother taught him how to read
The third child. Married Antonio Lopez at Morong, and write. His father hired a classmate by the name
Rizal; a teacher and musician. of Leon Monroy who, for five months until his
OLYMPIA RIZAL  (Monroy) death, taught Rizal the rudiments of Latin.
The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; died in
1887 from childbirth. At about this time two of his mother’s cousin
LUCIA RIZAL  frequented Calamba. Uncle Manuel Alberto,
The fifth child. Married Matriano Herbosa. seeing Rizal frail in body, concerned himself with the
MARIA RIZAL  physical development of his young
The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of nephew and taught the latter love for the open air
Biñan, Laguna. and developed in him a great admiration for
the beauty of nature, while Uncle Gregorio, a
scholar, instilled into the mind of the boy love for
education. He advised Rizal: "Work hard and perform
every task very carefully; learn to be
swift as well as thorough; be independent in thinking
and make visual pictures of everything."

SOUND MIND SOUND BODY

With his father, Rizal made a pilgrimage to Antipolo

to fulfill the vow made by his mother to take the child
to the Shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo should she
and her child survive the ordeal of delivery which
nearly caused his mother’s life. From there they
proceeded to Manila and visited his sister
Saturnina who was at the time studying in the La
Concordia College in Sta. Ana.
At the age of eight, Rizal wrote his first poem
entitled "Sa Aking Mga Kabata." The poem was
written in Tagalog and had for its theme "Love of
One’s Language."
Jose Rizal in Biñan, Laguna
His brother Paciano brought Rizal to Biñan, Laguna.
He was placed under the tutelage of Justiniano
Aquino Cruz, studying Latin and Spanish. In this
town he also learned the art of painting under the
tutorship of an old painter by the name of Juancho
Carrera.

Having finished his studies in Biñan, Rizal returned to

Calamba on board the motorboat. His parents
planned to transfer him to Manila where he could
continue his studies.
 
Back in Calamba
His mother was imprisoned in Sta. Cruz, Laguna for
allegedly poisoning the wife of her cousin Jose
Alberto, a rich property owner of Biñan and brother
of Manuel and Gregorio.

For the first time, Rizal heard of the word filibustero

which his father forbid the members of his family to
utter, including such names as Zamora and Burgos. (It
must be remembered that because of the Cavite
Mutiny on January 20, 1872, Fathers Mariano Gomez,
Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora were garroted at
Bagumbayan Field on February 17, 1872.)